Growth & expansion · strategy atlas
Product-led growth
what it means
Letting the product itself — not a sales team — do the work of acquiring, converting, and retaining customers, usually through a free trial or freemium tier that lets people experience value before paying.
a real example
Tools like file-sharing and design software spread inside companies employee by employee, with usage itself driving upgrades to paid plans, long before any salesperson gets involved.
when to use it
Products simple enough to deliver a meaningful 'aha moment' without training or a sales conversation, where individual users can adopt without needing organisational approval first.
when it backfires
Complex products that genuinely need a guided setup or a champion inside the customer's organisation fail quietly when left to self-serve — the trial expires before value is ever felt.